Rangers Intervene In Suicide Attempt

On the evening of Wednesday, September 26th, rangers responded to a report of a drunken man who appeared to be in distress on the northern part of the beach at Fort Funston. Upon confirming a better location from a reporting party, rangers located a lone man sitting on the beach at the base of the nearby cliffs with nightfall and heavy fog quickly settling in. The man was obviously intoxicated and admitted to drinking vodka all day. Rangers escorted him off the beach and to their nearby patrol cars. While there, the man admitted to attempting suicide by getting drunk and hoping to be swept out to sea by the incoming tide. The rangers took him to San Francisco General Hospital for a psychological evaluation. While being admitted, he started to sober up and thanked rangers several times for saving his life and was "touched" that two different park users had reported him to law enforcement. Just before departing the psychological ward of the hospital, he told the rangers that he was going to kill himself that day. The man was taking prescription anti-depressants and told the intake nurse that he thinks about suicide every day of his life.